Pick-up for non-insulated electric wires.



PATENTED MAY 21', 1907.

III/II E. -J. HEATH. PICK-UP FOR NON-INSULATED ELECTRIC WIRES.

I APPLICATION FILED AUG- 23, 1906.

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ATT EST.

,LN ENTOR. EDWARD J. HEATH. 1574 as! Wm #3 a), ATT'Y EDWARD J. HEATH, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

PICK-UP FOR NON-INSULATED ELECTRIC WIRES- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 21, 1907.

Application filed August 23, 1906. Serial No. 331,819,

To a, 1071/0717 it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD J. HEATH, a citizen of the United States, and resident of St. Louis, Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Pick-Up for N on-Insulated Electric Wires, of which the following is a specification containing a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention relates to a pickup for noninsulated electric wires, and the object of my invention is to construct a light, strong, and easily operated device to be used for picking up or engaging the broken ends of a non-in sulated electric wire, and more particularly trolley wires, which very frequently break and fall to the ground, thereby endangering the lives of persons or animals coming in contact with the non-insulated or live wire.

To the above purposes, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a wire pickup of my improved construction; Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 3*3 of Fig. 1 Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a modified form of the device.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings :I make use of a fixed upper jaw 1, the under side of which is provided with a longitudinally extending groove, having the transverse teeth 2 formed therein, and the forward end of said groove is flaring, as indicated by 3, to form an enlarged opening at the forward end of the device to permit the broken end of a wire to more readily p ass between the jaws. v

Formed in the rear end of the jaw 1 is a socket 4, which receives the forward end of a handle 5, which is constructed of wood or other insulating material, and formed integral with the rear end of the jaw and extending downwardly therefrom at the sides of the groove in the under side are fingers 6.

Formed integral with the top side of the jaw, near the forward end thereof, is a pair of upwardly projecting and rearwardly curved prongs 7, which form a claw utilized for picking up the end of a wire which breaks off close to a hanger or a cross wire.

8 designates the swinging lower jaw, which is provided in its top side with the longitudinally extending groove, and formed in the surface of said groove is a series of transversely arranged teeth 9. This 8 is held to swing longitudinally beneath the jaw 1 by means of a pair of hangers 10, arranged on the sides of said jaws, and which are connected thereto by means of screws 11.

The fingers 6 form stops to limit the rearward swing of the jaw 8, and when the hangers 1O assume vertical positions, said jaw 8 is at its limit of movement away from the jaw 1.

The forward end of the groove in the jaw 9 is made flaring, as designated by 12, to form an enlarged opening at the forward end of the device, and the under side of the jaw 8 at the forward end thereof is beveled, as designated by 13, in order that said jaw may be actuated as a runner in being moved over the ground or pavement when taking up an electric wire.

In Fig. 4 I have shown the lower jaw 8 connected to the jaw 1 by a pair of hangers 14 on each side, and this arrangement gives a parallel motion of the jaw 8 relative the upper jaw 1..

In engaging the broken end of a wire with a device of my improved construction, the handle 5 is manually engaged, and the jaws of the device moved along the ground or pavement in such a manner as that the wire is engaged between said jaws, as shown in Fig. 3. During this movement, the lower jaw 8 is at its limit of movement away from the jaw 1, and the broken end of the wire readily passes through the opening at the forward end of the jaws formed by the flaring ends 3 and 12 of the grooves in said jaws. After the jaws have thus been positioned on the broken end of the wire, the operator pulls upon the handle, which movement swings the jaw 1 rearwardly relative the jaw 8, and, as a result, the wire is very rigidly clamped between the teeth of said jaws. While so clamped, the wire may be moved to any position desired, or it may be elevated and secured in an out-of-the-way position to one of the cross wires, or to a wooden post.

There a trolley wire breaks off close toa cross wire, or to a hanger, said trolley wire may be engaged between the prongs 7, with the hanger or cross wire behind said prongs, and, when so engaged, said trolley wire is easily lifted and moved to an out-ofthe-way position.

A device of my improved construction may be also used as a wire clamp, or gripper, in the erection and. repair of telephone and telegraph wires and cables.

5 I claim A device of the class described, comprising a fixed j aw, a handle therefor, teeth formed integral with. the under side of said j aw, fingers integral with and depending from the 10 rear end of said fixed aw, a jaw connected to and arranged to swing beneath the fixed jaw, there being teeth formed in the top of said swinging jaw, the rearward movement of ssasva which swinging jaw is limited by the dope-1n ing lingers of the fixed jaw, and the meeting I 5 faces at the forward ends o'l said jaws bci g cut away to form a funnel shaped opening between said jaws; substantially as d escribcd.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDVVA RD J ITEA'II l.

l/Vitnesses:

M. P. SMITH, E. L. WALLACE. 

